Chapter 1
I know it’s going to be a wild night the second I step out of the car. Twirling the keys to my new Mercedes in my left hand, I look up at the mansion that this party’s going to be held at. Honestly, Kiera Kallman knows how to throw parties.
“Brooke! Brooke! Brooke!” is the first thing I hear chanted when I step in the house. Following the noise to the dining room, which is almost as big as our dining room combined with all three rooms of me and my siblings, I stumble in on what can be only called a teenage party. Brooke Michaels is quite obviously drunk, doing a dance on the table that I can’t describe as anything other than… No, I don’t even want to describe it. Looking for the host, Kiera, I find her making out in a corner with a guy that I know for a fact is not her boyfriend. They probably aren’t using anything birth control, but they just about need it. Shoving my way through the crowd and over to Kiera, I tear her away from the kid, who turns out to be Brandon Freeman from the grade above us.
“KIERA,” I yell above the music that’s pouring into my ears. “HOW DO YOUR PARENTS EVEN LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS?” I mean the party, but Kiera obviously thinks I mean Brandon.
“They don’t. But it’s fun,” Kiera replies, and without another word throws herself back onto Brandon. Her boyfriend won’t be happy.
I begin to look for the only person I know at this party, my cousin Jane. She’s the one who originally invited me, because Kiera doesn’t care who comes to her parties as long as people show up. Jane thinks I need to be more sociable, so she told me to come to this party where apparently all the important people show up to. Pfft. More like all the dealers and gang members. I catch a glimpse of Dylan Dredd. He was in jail for a couple years. He’s dancing with Brittany Myers, who’s nice enough, but she’s infamous at school for her dad being…something that starts with a P and rhymes with “Ledo”. I’m going to stop now because this is getting inappropriate fast. Finally I find Jane at the food table. I should have known that that’s where she was going to be. Jane stuffs her face practically 24/7 and doesn’t get fat. Her mom, my aunt Nancy, claims it is the eighth wonder of the world.
“Jane,” I yell, trying to get her attention over the loud music.
“Oh, Hails,” she replies with her mouth full of pizza. “You made it!” Like heck I did. And I think I’m about to make it back home within fifteen minutes.
“What kind of a party did you in—” I’m cut off by a loud splash from outside. Someone’s jumped, been pushed, or fallen into the pool. I presume the latter.
“It’s great, isn’t it?” Jane shouts. “Hey, Hailey, see that girl over there? The one who needs to be careful with how she dances or she’ll be giving birth in nine? That’s Lily Platten. She’s a stuck up pig and I’m telling her so.”
“You drunk or something?” I ask, because Jane is the sweetest little child you will ever meet. Most of the time. My point is, is that she’s never drunk.
“Nope! I’m speakin’ my mind.” I groan. Jane is definitely drunk. I need to get her out of here.
“Listen, Janie. I’m gonna call my brother, you know, your cousin.” I’m using my fake calm voice, the one that always has a slight edge in it. Jane lolls her head. “He’s going to give us a ride home.” I don’t trust myself to drive. I just got my license three weeks ago, and with a drunk teenager in the car… Well, not even a Toyota would be going places. At least, not good places. And I have a Mercedes.
“You gon’ call my cousin ’n’ he gon’ pick us up,” Jane repeats. Jane starts talking like her dad when she isn’t making an effort not to. It’s still considered a family scandal (by my extremely racist grandmother) that Aunt Nancy married a black man, even though Uncle Pete is the greatest man anyone could hope to marry. Except maybe Daddy. The thing is, Aunt Nancy didn’t really have the option of marrying her own brother.
“Exactly. But you’re staying right here, okay? Stay with me until someone gets here who can drive us.” I can’t call my parents or Jane’s for that matter, because they’d lose it. Jane’s siblings are all younger than she is, so my only option is my brother. Who, come to think of it, won’t be too thrilled either.
Hailey: Um….
Seven: now what
Hailey: Can u pick me & jane up? we got a prob
Seven: if it is what i think it is u better not let mom find out
Hailey: U bet I won’t ads long as u get over here
Hailey: *as
Hailey: we r at keira’s
Hailey: marcusson dr
Seven: On my way!
